CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Baldwin Wallace is back in the NCAA Division III basketball tournament, and if the Yellow Jackets plan to advance, they better be on their toes defensively.
On Friday, BW opens at No. 6 Calvin College (27-0), which is coming off its first unbeaten season and features one of the nation's top offenses at 80.4 points per game. Lurking in the other bracket at Calvin is No. 25 North Central, which leads the nation in scoring at 90 points per game.
BW is no stranger to tough tournament games. Last year, the Yellow Jackets won twice, then lost in the Sweet 16 to eventual national champion Farleigh-Dickinson.
Here's a quick breakdown:
What: NCAA Division III women's basketball first and second rounds.
Where: Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Pairings, schedule: No. 25 Wisconsin-Oshkosh (24-3) vs. North Central (22-5), Friday, 5 p.m.; Baldwin Wallace (22-6) vs. host No. 6 Calvin College (27-0), Friday, 7:30 p.m. Winners play in second round, Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Scouting BW: Ohio Athletic Conference tournament champion BW is led by three All-OAC players. Senior forward Audrey Smolik (Strongsville) made the first-team and also was the Most Valuable Player of the OAC Tournament after scoring 50 points and grabbing 18 rebounds in three games. Smolik (5-9) leads BW with 12.7 points and 6.6 rebounds per-game and is 10th in school history with 1,065 career points. Sophomore guard Syd Clark (Parma/Lake Ridge Academy) averages 8.9 points, has a team-high 26 blocked shots and was second team selection. Sophomore honorable-mention pick Clara Lemmon (Louisville) has come on strong late in the season and is at 7.8 points and 6.4 rebounds. BW is making its 13th NCAA appearance in Coach Cheri Harrer's 25 seasons (510-185 career record). The Yellow Jackets won the Mid Atlantic sub-regional last year and advanced to the Sweet 16, losing to eventual national champion Farleigh-Dickinson.
Scouting Calvin: The Knights' 80.4 points per game ranks sixth in the NCAA. Senior forward Breanna Verkaik (5-11) led the Knights to their first unbeaten regular season and was named MVP of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association. She is averaging 13.9 points, 5 rebounds and 3.1 assists while shooting 54 percent from the floor. All-MIAA guard Kayla Englehard averages 12 points, 3.3 assists and 2 steals. Calvin won the MIAA and is making its 16th tournament appearance and is 18-15.
Notable: Calvin is 2-1 against BW in the NCAA Tournament, winning a first-round game in 1997 and a second-round game in 1999. BW won a Sweet 16 game in 2000. North Central leads the NCAA in scoring at 90 points per game.